Page 83 of Hate That Blooms

I take a moment to appreciate his body and how much it’s changed from the eighteen year old high school bully, who’s tan skin only had a handful of small tattoos and his ear stretched. To the absolute god that stands before me now. More tattoos than I can even count—cover his arms, legs and torso. All of them are easily hidden away when he wears clothes, except for one. In my cursive handwriting, on his ring finger a single word sits,“Reina.”

I don’t say anything as I step in behind him, closing the door and letting the sound of the water fill the space between us. He turns, his expression soft as he pulls me in close, his hands warm on my skin.

“You good?” he asks, his voice low, as though checking in with me after the long day.

I nod, leaning into him. “Yeah. Much better now.”

He smiles, his fingers threading through my hair as he kisses me gently, tenderly. A kiss that feels like it’s meant to settle the world into place.

And for a moment, I let it. Let everything slow down, let everything feel just right. I pull back slightly, just enough to look up at him, my hands still resting on his chest, my fingers brushing against the tattoo of Mireya’s name. The water trickles down our bodies, but the warmth I feel right now isn’t just from the shower. It’s something else. A quiet certainty that’s settled deep in my bones.

“I’ve been thinking about something for a while now,” I say, my voice steady but laced with an emotion I can’t quite name. “I know we’ve talked about it—how we wanted to wait until after graduation and then, with the wedding, we put it off some more. But now, I don’t want to wait anymore.”

Joaquín tilts his head, studying me carefully, his brows furrowing slightly as though he’s reading me, trying to understand the depth of what I’m saying. His hands slide to my waist, his thumbs brushing against my sides, and I can feel the weight of his attention on me.

“I’m ready, Joaquín,” I say, a small smile pulling at my lips as I meet his eyes. “I’m ready for us to have a baby. I want to share that with you—everything we’ve built together, all the love we have, to give Mireya a sibling.”

His hands tighten around me, and for a moment, we both just stand there, the world outside the shower completely forgotten. I’m not nervous, not anymore. Not now that I’ve said it out loud. I’ve been waiting for the right time for so long, and the more I think about it, the more I realize there will never be a perfect moment. But I feel so sure now. Sure that this is the next step for us, sure that we’re ready.

“Thank fucking God,” Joaquín says softly, his voice low with emotion as he picks me up and pushes me against the shower wall. “I’ve been thinking about this for months now—about you, Mireya, and the family we could have. We’re ready, Gabriela. I’m ready. I’ve never been more sure.”

I lean in, pressing my forehead to his, reaching between us to stroke him. His breath catches. “Oh,” he groans in my ear. “Like right now,right now, huh?”

I bring my lips to his ear. “I had the IUD taken out this morning at my appointment.” The moan that leaves his lips as he slides inside of me, already so ready for him. “I can’t wait to see you holding our little baby,” I whisper, more to myself than to him, but he hears it. And I can feel him smile against my skin.

“I can’t wait to see you pregnant,” he replies, slowly thrusting into me, kissing my neck. “Fuck, every single dream I’ve had of you pregnant is about to come true,Hermosa.”

And just like that, I know this is the beginning of the next chapter of our lives.